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Co-ops are democratizing the food chain

Jaisal Noor

June 10, 2021 |

The Real News Network |

Video |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The food-supply business is known for exploitative pay and poor working conditions. But Brooklyn Packers, a Black-owned cooperative launched in 2016, pays its owner-workers and vendors fair wages and is founded on traditions in the Black community of food sovereignty and mutual aid. Those values paid off at the start of the pandemic, when demand for fresh produce deliveries exploded. Brooklyn Packers retooled its business model to meet the demand, showing that a non-hierarchical business can move quickly.

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Germany Makes Rapid Virus Tests a Key to Everyday Freedoms

Christopher F. Schuetze Melissa Eddy

June 09, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany

In Germany, where vaccination rollout has been slow, rapid antigen COVID-19 tests are used to allow people to attend indoor social, business, education, and personal care activities. There are 15,000 pop-up testing sites across the country, many in businesses that had fully or partially shut down due to the virus. People who want to participate in indoor activities like eating inside a restaurant need a negative rapid test that is no more than 24 hours old. The testing centers are funded by the government. While there is no conclusive evidence, experts believe widespread testing is lowering case numbers.

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Recovered Covid Patients Send Their Leftover Meds to Those in Need

Priti Salian

June 08, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Mumbai

Volunteers with India’s Meds For More initiative (MFM) collect leftover unused medications from recovered Covid-19 patients by canvassing their apartment buildings, offices, student clubs, schools, and other locations. Once collected, MFM distributes them to NGOs licensed to work in the health sector, who transport the medicines to marginalized communities in urban and rural areas. Medical professionals sort and pack the medicines and give them to local hospitals and health care centers, who distribute them to patients. The success of the program has inspired similar initiatives in several other cities.

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In The Wake Of Worsening Achievement Gap, Officials Ponder Private Help For Public Schools

Ebong Udoma

June 07, 2021 |

WSHU Public Radio |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Connecticut

Private donors and businesses are helping some Connecticut public schools provide students and their families with access to the internet, a critical need when distance learning is imposed. Long-term hopes to close the growing achievement gap between wealthy and poorer schools through public-private partnerships need more time to ripen. But some nearer-term successes include one philanthropy's grant to provide 60,000 laptops and broadband internet to students statewide who otherwise lacked access, while a grant in Norwalk put 1,000 families online to help with homework and healthcare access.

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Some Minnesota school districts made changes to grading systems during pandemic to help protect GPAs, they may not go back

Josh Verges

June 06, 2021 |

The Bemidji Pioneer |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Paul, Minnesota

In St. Paul, Minnesota, the St. Paul school district switched from a letter grade structure to a pass/fail system. A trend that was seen across other districts in the states. The move came after the pandemic resulted in an increase in students failing classes across the district and was part of a “do no harm” philosophy. Data shows the change helped some students and some said they felt more supported. The move is part of a larger effort the district is trying to prevent students from failing like credit recovery.

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A business without bosses

Euan McKirdy Jaisal Noor

June 03, 2021 |

The Real News Network |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

ChiFresh Chicago is owned and run by formerly incarcerated women of color. The business' five owner-workers responded to the pandemic's effect on food insecurity, in neighborhoods that already had high rates of that problem, by providing healthy, culturally appropriate meals to the communities hardest hit. In the longer term, ChiFresh's goal is supporting the community's food sovereignty while managing their own livelihood on their own terms.

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The 40-Year-Old System: How an upgrade could help the VEC solve payment problems

Caroline Coleburn

June 01, 2021 |

WTVR-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, South Carolina

If Virginia taxpayers who lost their jobs in the pandemic want to understand why their unemployment insurance payments lagged for months and why they couldn't get the Virginia Employment Commission on the phone, they could look to South Carolina. In 2017 that state took advantage of a grant to upgrade its computer systems. It was able to process payments much more quickly, needed many fewer call-center staff, and could help South Carolinians take advantage of enhanced pandemic benefits much sooner. Virginia has struggled to upgrade is decades-old systems, which were overwhelmed with calls and claims.

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Both lost jobs. She got paid. He waits. Where they live may be the reason why.

Shannon Lilly

June 01, 2021 |

WTVR-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, South Carolina

Four years before the pandemic caused unemployment compensation claims to spike, South Carolina took advantage of a federal grant to modernize its claims processing systems. That upgrade saved thousands of hours of time once claims rose sharply, which meant that people making legitimate claims got paid relatively quickly. That stands in contrast with the Virginia Employment Commission's huge backlog, which must be run through a decades-old system. The state was finally upgrading its systems when the pandemic put that work on hold, leaving some laid-off people in financial limbo for several months.

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Free Wi-Fi, e-magazines, dial-a-story: Kansas City libraries' popular pandemic services

Celisa Calacal

June 01, 2021 |

The Kansas City Beacon |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kansas City, Missouri

Digital library services in Kansas City were ramped up to serve patrons even as doors closed to visitors during the pandemic. Wi-Fi Hotspots were made available for downloading books, virtual story times for children were offered, and in addition to digital programs, services like dial-a-story were also offered over the phone for families without adequate internet service.

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Black Women Come Up Short On Funds And Food In COVID-19 Pandemic

Marissa Evans

June 01, 2021 |

Fierce for Black Women |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Village Minds was started by Natia Simone as a Facebook page to connect people in need of food and assistance, due to COVID-19 and grocery store closures after the protests following the murder of George Floyd. However, a broader issue of food insecurity led her to expand into a formal organization that has made more than 3,650 grocery deliveries. A partnership with a local produce store helps fill bags with fresh food and a food pantry provides other staples. With the help of friends and family, Simone uses a rented U-Haul to deliver the groceries to seniors throughout Chicago.

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